Folding-machine.



Patented Oct. 23, I900.

A. M. FLETCHER. FOLDING MACHINE (Application filed Sept. 11, 1899.)

6 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 660,328. Patentgd Oct. 23, I900.

A. M. FLETCHER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

I (Application filed Sept. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 660,328. Patented 0m. 23, I900.

A. M. FLETCHER. FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1899.)

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No. 660,328. "Pat0nted'0ct. 23, I900.

' A. M. FLETCHER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application mod Sept; 11, 1899.)

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No. 660,328. Patented Oct. 23, I900. A. M. FLETCHER.-

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Appliqation filed: Sepb. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) v v 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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A. M. FLETCHER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 11I 1899.)

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 23, I900.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

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' NlTED STATES PATENT @FrrcfE.

ARTHUR M. FLETCHER, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PATRICK J. LANDRIGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPLECI15I('3A..ITIO1\1' forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,328, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed September 11,1899. Serial No. 730iO70'. (No models To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures. I

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevation, partly in section, of my improved machine, showing the former-head and recipro cating frame raised to the limit of their upward movement-s. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on broken line 2 2 in Fig. l and showing the bed and folders in top plan View. Fig. is a vertical section taken on broken line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on broken line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the folder-plates with its supporting-slide. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the broken line 6 6 in Fig. 1, showing a top plan. view of the reciprocating frame and presser bars. Fig. 7 is a side view, partly insection, ofv the crank-wheel, wrist-pin, and pitman. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the former with some of the parts detached and showing its supporting-stem in cross-section. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the former-plates and its supporting slide-block detached from the head. Fig. 10 is a similar view of the guide-bar. Fig. 11 is a similar view ofa triangular plate forming a guide for the slide-plate. Fig. 12 is a simi-' lar view of another guide-plate. Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken on broken line 13 13 in Fig. 8. Fig. 14 is a top plan view of one of the guides detached from its slide-plate. Fig. 15 is a similar view of the slide-plate detached from its slide-block. Fig. 16 isa bottom plan View of the former, showing two movable former-plates in an expanded position. Fig. 17 is a view in front elevation of parts of the machine, showing the former in the position occupied after it is permitted a partial return drop movement toward the bed for the purpose of expanding the former. Fig. 18 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the former lies upon the bed and has been contracted so as to withdraw its plates from beneath the folder-plates and showing the presser-bars resting upon the with the folder-plates in folding the edges of the blanks, and means for imparting to the former and its plates the proper movements; also, presser-bars adapted to move vertically to and from the bed and means for operating the presser-bars to fix the folds formed in the blanks and means for operating the respective parts continuously by some continuouslyrunning motor.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the bed plate, supported by the stationary frame 2, having the legs 3. The uprights of the stationary frame are grooved on theirinner sides to form a slideway for the reciprocatory frame 4, which frame is approximately rectangular in shape, the vertical or side bars of the frame'being movable in their slideways transversely of the bed, the upper cross-bar of the reciprooatory frame being above the bed and the lower cross-bar being situated below the bed and provided with means, as the hangers 5, for connecting the movable frame with an operating-motor, as the crankdisk 6, having the wrist-pin 7, which is connected with the hangers by the pitman-rod 8 and the pivot 9. The crank-disk may be pro vided on its periphery with gear-teeth 10, adapted to mesh-with similar gearteeth on the small gear 11, fixed upon the shaft 12, to which regular and continuous movements maybe communicated by well-known mechanism. (Not shown.)

I have shown in Fig. 2 the folder-plates of ample space adapted to receive levers 41 and e'dses a proper form and arrangement to fold a rectangular culf. There are four plates 14, so arranged that their inner edges inclose a rec- Iangular figure. The folder-plates are preferably made of thin sheet metal and are secured to the bottom surface of the respective slides 15, as shown in Fig. 5. These slides are movable toward and from each other in slideways formed by the bars 16, which are secured to the bed-plate, as byscrews 17. As a means for moving the slides horizontally I provide each slide with a slideway 18, formed in the clip 19, secured to the slide, as by screws 20, adapted to receive the crossbar 21, which is movable lengthwise of the bar in such slideways. The bar about midway of its length has a contracted portion 22, adapted to fit in and move lengthwise of the slot 23 in the uprights of the actuating-frame 4. The contracted portion of the bar forms shoulders 24, which bear upon the uprights of the actuating-frame and prevent the longitudinal movement of the bar transversely of the uprights. To insert the bar in the slot, it is only necessary to tip it up edgewise, and after it is inserted tip it back again to the position shown in the drawings.

It will be observed that the slots 23 in the uprights each have a bend about midway of its length, forming the cams 25 and 26. When the actuating-frame is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the folder-plates are open or withdrawn from each other to the limit of their movement in that direction; but when the actuating frame descends to the position shown in Fig. 18 the cam 25 has forced the cross-bar 21 inwardly toward the middleof the bed by as much as the upper end of the slot is nearer the middle of the bed than the lower end of' the slot was when the frame was in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 1. During such a movement the slides 15 travel transversely along their slideways 18, as such slideways approach each other and the mid dle of the bed, and, conversely, when the actuating-frame rises again the folder-plates are made to move in the opposite direction. The collapsible former 27 is secured to a vertical stem 28 at the middle portion of the former-head. The head-block 29 is secured to the lower end of the stem by means of angle-plates 30, as shown in Fig. 8, the plates being fastened to the head by screws 31 and to the stem by screws 32. The upper crossbar of the actuating-frame comprises two plates 33 and 34, as shown in Fig. 6, which are secured to the uprights of the frame by means of screws 35. The space between these plates is adapted to receive and fit the stem of the former. The slideway for the stemis formed midway between the uprights of the frame by means of verticalstrips 36, 37, 38, and 39, secured to the cross-bar plates of the frame by means of screws or rivets 40. The stem is also made of two plates along a portion of its length, so as to afford 42, which are pivoted to the stem upon pivots 43. These levers are connected at their lower ends with the horizontally -movable plates of the former, as by the links 44, pivoted at one end to the lower end of the levers, as shown, and at the other end to a slide which operates the former-plates, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The upper cross-bar of the actuating-frame is also provided with friction'wheels or cam'followers 46 and 47 on each side of the former-stem, rotary on pivots 48 and adapted to engage the levers 41 and 42, the cam-followers 47 engaging the lower ends of the lovers to force them inwardly toward each other to contract the former, and the upper cam-followers 46 being adapted to engage the upper ends of the levers 41 and 42 to force such ends inwardly toward each other and the lower ends outwardly from each other, as partly shown in Fig. 17, and thereby to expand the former by forcing the former-plates outwardly away from each other.

The construction of the former is shown in detail in Fig. 8 and the accompanying figures on the same sheet of drawings. The head block 29 is provided with elongated openings 50, extending through the block and diverging from near the middle part of the block toward the ends of the block. There are four of these openings, the outer ends of which are respectively near the four corners of the rectangular head block, in each of which openings is a slide-block 51, to Which is secured by screws the former-plate 52, which is preferably made of thin sheet metal and approximately of the shape shown in Figs. 9 and 16. There are secured by screws to the head-block on theopposite sides of these openings steel plates 53 and 54 to form slideways for the slide-plate 55, which is secured to the slide-block 51 by the same screws which secure the plate 52 to the slide-block. To the slide-plate 55 is secured the little guide 56. Along each side edge of the respective ends of the head are secured the guide-bars 57, as by the screws 49, which form a slideway for the large slide-plate 58, which is provided with a transverse slot 59, adapted to receive and form a slideway for the guides 56 on the two slide-blocks beneath the slideplate on the respective ends of the formerhead. The outer end of each of the two slideplates is provided with upwardly-projecting cars 60, adapted to receive one end of the link 44, which end is secured thereto by the pivot 61.

In Fig. 8 the large slide-plate 58 is shown forced outwardly to the limit of its outward movement,and its engagement with the guides 56 in the slot 59 forces the slide-blocks 51, with their former-plates 52, outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 16. The form er-plates on the right-hand end of the figure are shown forced outwardly or in an expanded position, the same as in Fig. 8, those on the left-hand end of Fig. 16 being shown drawn into a contracted position. The rectangular bar 62 in Fig. 16 is simplya fixed portion of the headblockwhich forms an abutment for the plates to rest against when the former is contracted and to give the former a plane bottom surface when in a contracted position. As a means for causing the former to drop from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 17, which is called the partial return drop movement,1 provide a catch 6-5, which has a slide movement in the block 66 and is adapted to move into and out of a receiving aperture 67 in the stem of the former. This catch-pin has on its outer end a head 68, containing a groove 69, adapted to receive the bifurcated arms 70 on the end of crank-lever 71, fixed upon the crank-shaft 72. This crank-shaft has its hearings in the apertured blocks 73 and 74, secured to the upper cross-bar of the reciprocatory frame. This crankshaft has fixed on its outer end a dog 75, adapted to engage with the trip 76, which is a beveled block secured to the sta tionary frame and so arranged and beveled that when the actuating-frame 4 travels upward the dog traveling up the incline on the trip is forced forward, so as to communicate a rotary movement to the crank-shaft and cause the bifurcated lever 71 to act upon the grooved head of the catch-pin and withdraw the catch out of the aperture in the stem of the former, which permits the former and its stem to fall or drop by gravity from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 17. The crank-shaft is provided with a lever 77, fixed thereon, and the outer end of this lever is connected by a spring 78 to the upper edge of the cross-bar of the actuatingframe. This spring serves to hold thecatch in the aperture of the stem against accidental displacement and also to automatically connect the frame and stem by forcing the catch-pin into the stem-aperture when the frame is forced downward to the position shown in Fig. 18.

The operation of the machine, starting from the position shown in Fig. 18, is as follows: The actuating-frame t commences to travel upwardly, taking with it the former, which is held in fixed engagement with it by the catch 65, and as the cams 26 strike the slidebars 21 they force the folder-plates outwardly or to an open position. The actuating-frame carries with it the former until just at the point of its limit of upward movement, when the trip 76 serves to withdraw the catch from the former-stem and permit the former to drop to the position shown in Fig. 17, the stops 79, fixed on the stem, striking the upper side of the upper cross-bar of the actuating-frame, and thereby limiting the drop movement of the former and its stem. During this drop movement of the former and its stem the upper ends of the cam-levers 41' and 42, pivoted on the stem, come into engagement with the followers 46, which act upon the levers to expand the former to the position shown in Fig. 17, as before explained. During the time of the upward movement of the actuatingJr-ame and the drop movement of the former the collar and cuff blank which was previously folded is withdrawn by an operator and another blank substituted therefor by placing it on the bed and just within the edges of the open folder-plates. Next the downward movement commences, and the former descends with the frame until it rests upon the inserted blank on the bed of the machine. The continued movement of the actuating-frame now brings the cams 25 in the uprights 0f the actuating-frame into engagement with the slide-bars 21 and actuates the folder-plates to force them inwardly over the expanded former-plates, as shown in Fig. 18. During this operation of forcing inwardly the folder-plates the plates of the former are locked in an immovable position against the inward thrust of the folder-plates by means of the cam-followers 46 and 47, which engage the straight vertical plane portion of the upper end of the levers, as shown in Fig. 17, thereby holding the levers and the formerplates in a fixed position while the cams 25 are passing the slide-plates 21. It should be borne in mind that the levers and cam-followers 46 and 47 will descend together with-' out relative movement until the former travels from the position shown in Fig. 17 to the bed, or rather to the folder-plates resting on the bed, in which position the cams 25 have descended almost to the slide-bars 21 and are almost in position to engage the bar. After the folder-plates have thus been forced over onto the former-plates to fold the edges of the blank the further downward movement of the actuating-frame brings the cam-followers t7 into engagement with the lower end of the levers 41 and 42, causing the former to contract, so that the former-plates are wholly withd rawn from beneath the fold er-plat es and the folds formed in the edge of the blank when the actuating'frame reaches thelimit of its downward movement, as shown in Fig.- 18. It is at this time also that the folds'in the blank 85 are fixed by presser-bars which comprise the rectangular frame 81, which is secured to the lower side of the upper crossbar of the actuating-frame, as by the studs 82, passing up between the plates of the upper cross-bar and secured by screws 83, as shown in Fig. l. The upward movement of the actuating-frame releases the folded blank, allowing the same to be removed and another substituted in its place, the operation being repeated each time that the actuating-frame is moved up and down, it only being necessary for the operator to place new blanks on the bed of the machine within the edges of the open folder-plate after removing those which are folded and pressed. I am thus enabled by my improved machine to make the operation of infolding the edges of the blanks and fixing the folds by pressure continuous and wholly automatic; It is obvious that.

folder-plates and former-plates diifering in size and shape maybe substituted for those shown in the drawings to accommodate the machine for folding and pressing blanks of different sizes and styles.

The several bars of the presser-frame 81 are made of sufficient width to properly engage folder-plates of differing sizes and shapes. While I have shown in Fig. 7in part a means for communicating reciprocating movements to the actuating-frame, it is obvious that any known mechanism may be employed to operatively connect some motor with the actuating or reciprocating frame.

The use of a continuous motor, as herein shown and described, instead of foot or hand power enables me to automatically and successively communicate to the former and the folding and presser mechanisms regular and unvarying movements which can be prede termined to accomplish a certain amount of work in a given time independently of the will of the special operator who feeds the blanks tothe machine and removes them after they are folded.

The term former-head as used in the claims is intended to embrace that part of the former which supports the former-plates contractible and expansible thereon, and I do not wish to be limited thereby to any particular form of support.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for folding and pressing the edges of collar and cuff-blanks, the combination with a blank-supporting bed; and collapsible former; of a reciprocatory frame movable perpendicularly to the bed; and means for continuously imparting to the frame reciprocating movements; connections, having releasing mechanism, between the frame and former, whereby the former is raised by the frame from the bed and allowed a partial return drop toward the bed; means for expanding and contracting the former during the relative movements of the frame and former; movable foldingplates on the bed; operating connections between the folding-plates and the reciprocatory frame; and presser-bars, on the frame, engageable with the folder-plates after the former-plates have been withdrawn from beneath the folder-plates, substantially as described.

2. In a folding-machine, having a fabricsupporting bed, former plates and folderplates cooperatively movable on such bed, the combination with a reciprocatory frame, movable perpendicularly to the bed; and means for continuously imparting to the frame reciprocating movements; of a cam connection between the frame and the folding plates which forces the plates inwardly during a reciprocating movement of the frame in one direction, and outwardly during the oppositely reciprocating movements; and a cam connection between the former-plates and the reciprocatory frame which forces the former-plates outwardly when the folding-plates are in their outward position, and inwardly after the folder-plates have been forced inwardly over such former-plates, substantially as described.

3. In a folding-machine having a fabricsupporting bed, former-plates and folderplates cooperatively movable on such bed, the combination with a reciprocatory frame movable perpendicularly to the bed; means for continuously imparting to the frame reciprocating movements; and means for actuating the folder-plates; of a head on which the former-plates are movable horizontally; a slide-stem movable vertically in the frame and centrally secured at its lower end to the former-head; means for'securing relative vertical movements of stem and frame; camlevers in the stem; actuating connections between the levers and the former-plates; and lever-actuating cam-followers on the frame, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for folding and pressing the edges of collar and end blanks, the combination with a blank-supporting bed; folderplates; and former-plates movable on such bed; of a reciprocatory frame; and presserbars thereon movable perpendicularly to the bed to and from the folder-plates; actuating mechanism on the movable frame cngageable with the operating mechanism of the various former-plates and folder-plates whereby a reciprocating movement of the frame will suecessively raise the presser-bars and formerplates and open the folderplates for the reception of a blank, expand the former-plates to the size and shape of the finished product, move the expanded former down upon the blank, force the folder-plates inwardly over the former-plates to fold the edges of the blank, contract the former to withdraw its plates from the fabric folds, and force the presser-bars down upon the folded edge to fix the fold, substantially as described.

5. In a folding-machine, the combination with a horizontally-disposed fabric-supporting bed; and folder-plates movable horizontally on the bed; of a former-head vertically movable to and from the bed and having horizontally-movable former-plates cooperative with the folder-plates; a vertically-movable frame; catch and release connections between the frame and former-head; means for imparting to the frame reciprocating movements; actuating cam connections between the frame and the former-plates and folderplates; whereby the reciprocating movements of the frame serve to impart cooperative movements to the former-plates and folderplates and carry the former-head to and from the bed, substantially as described.

6. In a folding-machine, having a horizpntal bed, folder-plates movable horizontally on the bed, and a vertically-movable frame adapted to operate the folder-plates, the combination with a former; and former-supporting stem movable lengthwise in a vertical ICC slideway in the frame; a catch; and means for bringing it into action at the end of the downward movement of the frame, which prevents the relative movement of the stem during the upward movement of the frame;

. a releasing-trip which frees the stem from the catch at the end of the upward movement of the frame; and a stop for limiting the relative downward movement of the stem, substantially as described.

7. In a folding-machine of the class deplales contractible and expansible on theformer-head; a former-supporting stem movable lengthwise in a vertical slideway in the frame; a pair of cam-levers pivoted upon the stem; actuating connections between the former-plates and the levers; lever-actuating cam-followers on the frame; means for holding the stem fast upon the frame during its upward movement; means for allowing the stem to drop until the upper end of each lever engages a cam-follower on the frame and expands the former-plates; and means for supporting the former mechanism at a lower level and on a blank while the folder-plates fold the edges of the blank over onto the former-plates and until a cam-follower on the frame engages the lower end of each leverand contracts the former-plates, substantially as described.

8. In a folding-machine, having a fabricsupporting bed, a collapsible former, folderplates cooperative with the former-plates and a reciprocatory frame for actuating the various movable parts, the combination with a former-supporting stem vertically movable in the frame; cam-levers pivoted on the stem, having a cam-surface on one end for contracting the former and on the other end a camsurface for expanding the former and an approximately-plane follower-engaging surface for holding the former-plates in an expanded position while the folder-plates are being forced inwardly over the former-plates, and actuating cam-followers, substantially as described.

9. In a folding-machine,a collapsible former, comprising a head-block having elongated diagonal openings therethrough; slide-blocks in and movable lengthwise of such openings; former-plates on the under side of such movable blocks capable of being extended beyond the edges of the head-block; and guides on the -upper side of the movable blocks; a pair of slide-plates movable on parallel lines in slideways on the upper side of the head-block and containing transverse slideways for the guides on the movable blocks; and means for moving the slide-plates to and from each other, substantially as described.

10. In a collapsible former for collar and cuff folding machines, the combination with a head-block having elongated diagonal openings therethrough; and slide-blocks movable lengthwise of such openings; of detachablev guide-plates secured to the head-block on op- I posite sides of the diagonal openings with their neighboring edges parallel to each other;

means for actuating the slide-blocks, 'sub-.

stantially as described.

11. In a folding-machine having a horizontal bed, a collapsible former and means for operating the former, the combination with folder-plates movable in guideways on the bed; of a frame adapted to be reciprocated perpendicularly to the bed; means for reciprocating the frame; cams; and cam-grooves in the frame; a cam-follower operatively connected with the folder-plates, and locked in place by the cams and cam -grooves in the frame, substantially as described.

12. In a folding-machine, the combination with a supporting-bed; of a former movable toward and from the bed; folding mechanism cooperative with the former; pressing mechanism movable independently of the folding mechanism toward and from the bed and folders; a motor common to said former, folding and pressing mechanisms; and actuating connections whereby said former, folding and pressing mechanisms are automatically and successively operated by said common motor, substantially as described.

13. In a folding-machine, the combination with a supporting-bed; of folding mechanism movable along the bed; a former-head ;'formerplates contractible and expansible on the former-head and cooperative with the folding mechanism; pressing mechanism movable toward and from the bed independently of the movements of the folding mechanism; a motor common to said former, folding and pressing mechanisms; and actuating connections whereby said former, folding and pressing mechanisms are automatically and successively operated by said motor, substantially as described.

14. In a folding-machine, the combination with a supporting-bed of folding mechanism movable along the bed; aformer-head,former plates contractible and expansible on the former-head and cooperative with the folding mechanism; pressing mechanism movable to- 

